Australasian Safari 2012

Well I went ahead and sent in my deposit and expression of interest, thought it might be about time to start a thread on it. Even though its a few months out. Already making a ton of plans and setting things in motion... its a little like standing at the top of the hill and rolling rocks down. They're hard to move at first, and seem like they go pretty slow, but I expect it will crescendo to a roar as it gets closer

Followed Seth's blog thread about it last year with enthusiasm... I've been dreaming for quite a while of participating in an overseas adventure such as this one.

I fully intend to finish this bad boy. Hopefully it will all work out successfully in the end.

Also already meeting a bunch of good folks who are very friendly and helpful, thanks everybody- you've been a great support so far, even this early on.

I figured it would be a good idea to send in the EoI and get that out of the way, and then all the details should work themselves out

A gentleman down there named Paul Rooney offered to let me pilot his bike, down there, in exchange for gas money. He'll be doing service on it, also. I couldnt refuse.

Bike's had its share of tribulations, to be sure, but I have a really good feeling about this one

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You+Airhead= Rally glory
It occurs to me based on what I've seen, that if you can ride smart and keep the bike upright, the natural attrition of the rally will provide you a pretty good finish! That's pretty universal with any motorsports I guess

Thanks, yes, Airhead or Burst! Keeping it upright is an integral part of my finishing strategy

out of the ditch and off the fence is the initial operating rule.. Most of the bike's prior issues seemed to have stemmed from crash damage. Mechanically it certainly cant be any worse than what I could do to it by myself.

Plans are afoot like mad around here- yes indeed I do need an echo and a EKG.
Licenses..
Need to book flights...

Got to get out to California in May for some roadbook practice... more flights and equipment, time off work...

20 miles every other day on a bicycle and 6k runs on the others...

uh.. oh and work, as well.

BUT we have a lot of time to make sure the bike is as good as it gets. No last minute stuff. There is something romantic about prepping my own bike and shipping it and all that, but frankly there's enough to worry about my first time out.
Not to mention it wouldnt even be feasible any other way, right now. WHere the hell else could I get service and a bike ready to go for the cost of gas?

Currently equal parts excited and terrified, with a sine wave regularity

Here's a question: I got a hold of a bit of roadbook from last year's event. I can figure out most of the code, like KRAT and RXR and the like... but is there a key somewhere that would take my guesswork out of it?

BEing that the race is 21-29 Sept, with the Village opening on the 19th.... It would make sense to leave US on the 15th, get there on the 16th, at night, yeah? Is that about what you did, with a few days to acclimatize?

Probably leave on the 1st or 2st. (30 days has september....) we would have to get from Kalgoorie or where ever back to Perth, yeah?

BEing that the race is 21-29 Sept, with the Village opening on the 19th.... It would make sense to leave US on the 15th, get there on the 16th, at night, yeah? Is that about what you did, with a few days to acclimatize?

Probably leave on the 1st or 2st. (30 days has september....) we would have to get from Kalgoorie or where ever back to Perth, yeah?

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The finish will be 1/2 day drive back to Perth on the Sunday, add a couple of days to chill once the bike is packed, Perth and the south west is really nice in spring !

my internal clock worked better in australia than anywhere else. first day i got in around noon and stayed up till about 8pm. woke up around 5 am wide awake. was in bed by 9 or 10 every night and up by 5 or 6 every day....something that doesnt happen at home. i would say i just fealt fatigued for the first 3 days or so.

Australasian Safari recognised as one of the worlds key rally events with new Dakar agreement

Date: 27-Apr-2012

One amateur motorbike competitor in this years Australasian Safari will live the dream with a free entry into Dakar, the worlds toughest motorsport event, thanks to an agreement between Australasian Safari and Dakar 2013.

The Australasian Safari has been selected as one of only four events for the worlds most extreme and legendary offroad motorsport races to be Dakar Challenge events.

Organiser of Dakar, ASO, and the Australasian Safari have just signed an agreement that will see the winner of the moto category of the Safari receive free entry into Dakar 2013. This will be known as the Dakar Challenge.

Australasian Safari event director Justin Hunt said the agreement was an exciting step forward for Safari in gaining further international exposure.

Weve known for some years now that the Australasian Safari is our regions toughest offroad motorsport event, but this agreement now acknowledges our status on the international stage.

The agreement gives the Safari international recognition and further credibility as a major player on the world scene.

For several years we have had strong international competitors come to Australia to compete as a serious rehearsal for Dakar and this agreement will hopefully encourage further international interest in our event, Justin said.

Two car crews will be chosen from the Toyota 1000 Race Desert in Botswana and the Pharaohs Rally (Egypt), whilst two motorbike riders will be heading to South America from the Taklimakan Rally in China and the Australasian Safari in Western Australia.

A condition of entry into the Dakar Challenge is that entrants must never have participated in the Dakar, nor have finished in the top ten of an FIM all terrain rally.

The Australasian Safari, from 21 to 29 September 2012, is an eight-day endurance race that sees competitors travel mainly off-road tracks through the outback of Western Australia. The event is known as one of the toughest and most challenging motorsport events in the world. This years course will be approximately 3500km through the mid west of Western Australia.

Dakar 2013 is a massive 8000km race from Lima, Peru through Argentina and finishing in Santiago, Chile from 5 to 20 January 2013.